All who are thirsty…
Have you ever been so thirsty that you thought that you were going to die of thirst? Have you ever been so weary that you thought you weren’t going to make it another day? You work so hard and for what?
Jesus gives us some hope for those of us who are weary in Matthew 11:28-29. Let’s read it together.
“Come to me all you who are weary and heavy burdened and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn of me. For I am gentle and humble of heart and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-29 NIV
What is the first thing Jesus tells us to do? “Come to me…”
Our first action should be to come to Jesus when we are feeling overwhelmed by the burdens of our lives. He is calling us to himself. He calls us to take a break with Him…a little vacation, if you will. Doesn’t a vacation sound good, especially a free one? We all would like an island getaway, wouldn’t we? I am sure that we would all love to feel the warm air against our faces and the cool sand underneath our feet; a reprieve from the mundane things of this world that pull us further and further away from the Author of LIFE! Well, guess what? He is calling us to take a vacation with Him to a life that is simpler. A life that is easier. A life that is not all wrapped around a long to do list.
I love the way The Message Bible interprets this scripture.
“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace.” Matt. 11-28-29
Are you tired? Are any of you sick and tired? Are any of you sick and tired of being sick and tired? Are any of you thirsty? I mean really thirsty? Thirsty for something that really fulfills and quenches your parched heart? Do you feel dry? Washed up, wrung out and left in a crumpled dirty heap?
Jesus says in John 7:37, “If any one is thirsty, let him come to me and drink.” Jesus offers us living water. Just has he offered the woman at the well living water so he is offering to each one of us water from the wellsprings of life.
Jesus said that when we come to Him, he will give us rest. True Rest. He wants us to sit under his tutelage and learn from him. Demanding people constantly surrounded Jesus. Just spend a few moments reading the gospels and you will find that Jesus was daily bombarded by the needs of people. But if you will pay close attention, he never was in a hurry. Talk about the unforced rhythms of grace! Everywhere Jesus went the Spirit of God led him. The Spirit of God even led him to the desert. And Jesus willingly followed and obeyed. How many of us would willingly go to the dry desert? I prefer lush green gardens with exotic flowers to smell!
Life does not always hand us a bouquet of roses. But, we can in the midst of the harsh realities of life, find respite and a place to rest in the loving arms of Jesus. When we surrender our lives to him and allow him to direct us, we will find that our lives take on a more serene and peaceful tone. We are not all rushed and stressed about many things.
As a kid, every summer we would go camping for our family vacations. We would load up the camper and off we would go. But before any of that adventure and “vacation” could start, we would all be put to work cleaning the house that we wouldn’t be living in for the next week! My mom would crack the whip. Everything had to be spic and span before we could leave the premises. We would be so worn out we all looked like we needed some R&R after we were through! But boy after we got to our destination, were we happy campers! The lake would beckon us to come, come away for a swim. We would stay for hours basking in the sun! One of my warm, fuzzy memories is of being at Crescent Lake in Central Oregon. I can remember the smells and sounds of the lake as I would float along being bobbed up and down by the ripples of the water made by the boats that had just come in or gone out. What a place to let your worries and cares just slip away.
I think that Jesus lived his life very similarly to those rhythms of the water. He sure did spend a lot of time there. Sitting in those fishing boats telling stories about God his Father.
Remember the time he and his disciples were on the Sea of Galilee and a big storm hit? What was Jesus doing? He was resting. Catching a few z’s! He wasn’t afraid of the storm. Do you know why? He knew the one who created the water and lake on which they were. He knew that one who created the lightning and the thunder! He was very familiar with all of it. And in the middle of the thick of it, he could rest easy!!!!
So, today, may you find true rest that only comes from knowing the"Blessed Controller" of our lives. Take a drink from the well that will never run dry.
His name is JESUS!
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